An angry father has condemned a bus company for allegedly leaving school pupils stranded at the side of a busy road in Coventry.

He says his son and other pupils have been ignored by the drivers of buses operated by Mike de Courcey Travel, who whizz past them on the A45 in Canley.

But Mike de Courcey, the owner of the company, has hit back, saying some youngsters deliberately miss the buses to ''bunk" a day off from lessons.

Peter Mather-Price, of Sir Henry Parkes Road in Canley, said that his son and four other pupils were yesterday left standing at the side of the A45 Fletch-amstead Highway by a de Courcey bus which drove straight past them.

The five youngsters, aged from 11 to 13, were waiting to be taken to Bishop Ullathorne RC School, in Leasowes Avenue.

Mr Mather-Price says it was the fourth time it had happened since the start of the school year in September.

A car was later sent by the bus company to pick up the marooned pupils but Mr Mather-Price says no explanation has been offered for the children being made late for lessons.

He said: "It's getting beyond a joke now and I don't like leaving kids out on the A45."

But Mr de Courcey says that the youngsters are missing the bus on purpose.

He said: "This is a registered service, not a designated bus service. It's up to the kids to be there and put their hands out.

"That bus stop is right beside a subway and they hide in the underpass and then ring home and say the bus has not picked them up.

"I've seen them do it myself. I've parked on the other side of the road and watched them.

"We have three services that go down there in the morning, the C95, the S43 and the S43A. That's three drivers and they wouldn't all miss them.

"As far as we are concerned, they are missing the bus deliberately."

There is no suggestion that Mr Mather-Price's son was involved, but the father insists that the bus company's claims are completely false.

He said: "This has been said before and there's no truth in it. They love school.

"The first time this happened was on the very first day of school and this time it was the last day before they break up. All the kids love the last day of school."